Hood catch



March 26, 1.935. R. G. MOORE 1,995,775

HOOD CATCH Filed March 20, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

i HYMUND B .MUURL ATTORNEY.

`55 Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional Viewy taken along through the` bearing openings 15 and 18 to the i Patented Mar. 26, 1935 Y, i

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y noon CATCH Raymond G. Moore, Bridgeport, Conn.,v assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 20, 1933, Serial No. 661,654

' 4 claims. (01.292-8?) The present inventionvrelates to hood catches the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,` the catch being` shown for securing the hoods of automobiles, and has in top plan. for an object to provide a hood catch of extreme- Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View takenl'along ly simple and inexpensive construction, which the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, the bar being shown disen- 5 may be operated Ywith facility, and will effectugaged from the keeper ally hold the hood downwardly and' inwardly Fig. 5 is a rear elevation ofthe catch showing against looseness and rattling. Another n object the inoperative position, and also showing in dotis to provide a hood catch in which the handle and-dash lines the operative keeper engaging and catch means'will be exteriorly disposed while DOSitiOn.

the tensioning mechanism is interiorly disposed, Fig. 6 iS a fragmentary Vertical sectional view 1Q thus providing a catch which may be easily and Showing a modied form 0f keeper and catch positively operated, and which at the same time bar. will present a neat andinconspicuous appearance Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic horizontal sectional free from unsightly mechanism, and which lends View of the hood and the adjacent structure ofthe itse1f to streamline Adesign harmonizing with radiator and cowl, showing in exaggeration the 15 other partsof the automobile struoture flexing of the hood in the operative position of A further objectA is to provide a hood oai-,oh the catch according to the modification shown in which will beV free from loose parts, and in which Fig. 5 l I the resiliency for holding the hood downwardly Similar reference characters indicate correand inwardly is a function of an integral part of Sponding parts throughout the several gures'of 20 the catch proper, as distinguished from other the draWirlgtypes of catches in which extraneous spring ele- Referring t0 the CirrLWIlgy the hOOd 10 iS adaptments are employed. To this end it is proposed ed t0 @105e irl the usuel marmer against laCiIlgS to provide a handle and catch bar in the form 11i-'11, provided alOhg the inset marginal edge of a resilient'rod'having an integral coil spring DOr'iOrlS 12-12 0f the radiator and COWI Struc- 25 portion at one end disposed at the side of 'the ture 13-13, and `at each end of the hood, and ,i

hood, the hand1e and catch portionsbeing at adapted to Cooperate with keepers provided on the outside and adapted to be Sprung into enthe radiator frame and cowl structures,V hood gagement Witha keeper on the cowlor radiator Catches Wording t0 the illustrated BXemPlary 3o fram L embodiment of the invention are mounted.` l 30 Afurther object is toprovide a 'catch which The' hood Catch Cpmpfies a Tetangula may be horizontally'disposed, out of relation with mountmg P1313@ 14 PTOVlded Wlth a bealfmg Opelithe sill, so that it may be conveniently reached ing 15 hai/'111g an O utWa'IdlY bent fiang? engaged and will in no way interfere with other parts of .m al? Opening 16 1n the hood An eSClltChGOn the automb1e A f plate 17 having a peripheral inwardly bent flange 35 y A still further Objectis to provide a hood catch is provided Centrally with a' ba'ing Opefing 13 which will utilize the springiness of the metal of fmged. nward-1y and dispose?- m axlal ajhgnment the hoodside to exert inward holding pressure. mth the Openmg 15- A pfm' of ecufmg Studs With the above and other objects in view an 19-19 are Welded to the Inner 51de of Tfhe e?" 40 embodiment of the invention is shown in the accutcheon plate and extend .through plercmgs m 40 companying drawing and this embodiment will be e hlootd nfghplaemt (IIllgn hereinafter more fully described with reference pltg let() thi inrllser Side O'he hood and the es? thertg and th? invention .Win be na'uy pointed cutcheon vplate to the outer side. 'I'he mounting `out 1n ythe claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one cornerof an automobile hood and the adjacent cowl and sill structure, and showing the hood catch accord- `50 ing to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention attached thereto. and being in the form of a coil spring 20, its outer Fig- 2-iS d Vertical SeCtiODal View, taken along angularly bent end 21 being secured beneath a the line 2-`2 of Fig. 1,v and showing the catch strap portion 22 struck up from the plate 14 and in end elevation. its inner end being bent forwardly as at 23 ners, although if desired it may be at a substantially higher point than that illustrated.

The hood catch proper is in the form of a single bent bar of spring metal, the inner end portion being disposed upon the mounting platevll 0 plate is preferably adjacent-one of the lower corouter side of the hood, where it is again bent and extends longitudinally of the hood to provide a spring handle and catch bar portion, the handle portion 24 being arcuately bent outward to facilitate engagement by the fingers and the catch portion 25 being straight and extending beyond the end of the hood. In the inoperative disengaged position the bar stands outwardly from the hood 'at a slightly inclined angle to the hood surface, as shown in Fig. 4, and also is inclined upwardly from the horizontal operative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, and is adaptedtot' ex both vertically and transversely, the vertical flexing being a function of the coil spring portion 20, which winds as the bar is depressed' andun-y winds as it is raised.

The keeper comprises a'base plate 26 and a l right angularly bent hook flange 27, having a catch engaging recess 28 provided with an"angu' la-r camming surface. VThe plate is preferably secured at the inner side of the cowl or radiator frame 13, as by rivets 29, and the flange 27 projects'A to the outer side through a slot opening 30 in the cowl or frame.

`In operation, the hood is drawn downwardly by downward pressure on the handle portions 24 at each-end, these being sufiiciently stiff for the downward pressure to be firmly transmitted to the hood-,so that it can be effectually pressed down to its full limit with facility.

During this action the bar is pressed downwardly below the horizontal operative position as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. l and is then pressed under the nose of the keeper into the recess 28,-where its inherent resiliency springs the` catchend upwardly along the inclined surfaces of the recess drawing the hood downwardly and inwardly under the vertical andtransverse tension of'thebar. To disengage the catchbar is pressed downwardly and pulled outwardly to disengage the catch end, the bar springing to the position `indicated in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5.

In 6 I have shown a modified form of keeper 27- having a recess 28el provided with a verticalouter wall. In this case the handle and catch'bar 24a-25B is rigid transversely, and is normallyv disposed in its inoperative position at an angle to thehood in a similar manner to the inoperative positionof the bar 24 of the first embodiment as shown in Fig. 4, and is pressed inwardly to-engage the ykeeper recess. In this case the bar 24d-25a may be made of ymore rig-id metalfthan that employed in the first embodiment so-that transverse pressure thereon will flex the hood rather than they bar, or alternatively the` bar 24a-25a may be of the same metal as the' first embodiment and the hood l0l upon which itis mounted may be relatively more flexible than the 'hood I10 of the first embodiment. In either case the hood will'be relatively flexible and the -bar will be relatively stiff transversely. The ends ofthe hood being supported against the lacings 1l, and the bar being rigidtransversely the inward pressure of the bar causes the hood to be slightly sprung or warped, as indicated diagrammatically inFig. 7, and 'being held in this position by engagement of the catch end in the keeper the inherent springiness of vthe sheet metal of the-hood-exerts an inward' pressure upon the hodthuspressing it inwardly firmly against the lacings.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it 'Wllbe obvious thatV changes may be madetherein,

within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

1. An automobile hood catch for mounting on the hood to engage a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood and having a downwardly disposed catch engaging surface; the hood in its" closed position being limited in its downward movement by engagement with a rfixed part, comprising a bar adapted to be secured at one end to the hood and including an integral coil spring portion adjacent said secured end, its other end including a keeper engaging portion normally disposed above the catch engaging surface of the keeper in the closed position of the hood-,and adapted in said closed position to be sprung downwardly to pull the hood down againstsai'd fixed part and to engage said keeper through upward springing of said bar, the sprung baradapted to exerta continuous downward pressure on the' hood.

2. `An automobile hood catch for moimting on the hood to engage a keeper disposed upon a. fixed part in relation to the end of the hood and havinga downwardly disposed catch engaging surface, the hood in its closed position being limited in its downward movement by engagement with a fixed part', comprising a mounting fixture adapted to be secured interiorly of the hood, and a bar rigidly secured at one end to said mounting fixture and including an integral coil spring portion adacent said secured end, the inner end of said coil spring portion being bent outwardly from said fixture to the exterior of the hood and extending longitudinally and beyond the end of the hood, said portion extending beyond thejend of the hood being normally disposed above the catch engaging surface of the keeper in the closed position of the hood, and'adapted in said closed positionto be vsprung downwardly to pull the hood down against said fixed part and to engage said keeper through upward springing of said bar,"the sprung vbar adapted to exert a continuous downward pressure on the hood.

3. An'automobile hood catch for mounting on the ho'od'to engage a keeper disposed upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood and having downwardly and inwardly facing catch engaging surfaces, the hood in its closed position being limited in Aits downward and inward movementby engagement with a fixed part, comprising a spring bar adapted to be secured at one end to the' hood and including an integral coil spring portion adjacent said secured end, its other end including a keeper engaging portion normally disposed above and laterally outwardly of the catch engaging surfaces of the keeper in the closed position of the hood, and adapted in said closed position-to be sprung downwardly and inwardly to pull the hood down against said fixed part and to engage said keeper through upward springing of said bar, the sprung bar adapted to exert a continuous downward and inward pressure on the hood.

4. An automobile hood catch for mounting on the hood to engage a keeper disposed'upon a fixed part in relation to the end of the hood and having downwardly and inwardly disposed catch engaging surfaces, the hood in its closed position being klimited in its downward and inward movement by engagement of its end portion with a fixed part, and said hood being inherently resilient, comprising a bar adapted to be secured atV one end to the hood and including an integral lll coil spring portion adjacent said secured end, its other end including a keeper engaging portion normally disposed above and laterally outwardly of the catch engaging surfaces of the keeper in the closed position of the hood, said bar being springy in an up and down direction and transversely rigid, said bar adapted in said closed position to be pressed inwardly whereby said hood is warped and to be sprung downwardly to pull the hood down against said xed part and to engage said keeper through upward springing of said barfthe sprung bar adapted to exert a continuous downward pressure on the hood, and the warped hood exerting a continuous inward pressure thereon.

RAYMOND G. MOORE. 

